The invention relates generally to beds and more particularly to hospital beds having latch sensors for determining when a latch is in a latched or unlatched position.
Caregivers often use backboards and patient shifting boards to transport patients who have suffered a spinal or neck injury from an accident scene to a care facility such as a hospital. To avoid further injury to a patient""s spine or neck, the caregiver carefully straps the patient to the backboard to immobilize the patient. Once immobilized, further movement of the patient is avoided to minimize the risk of further injury. To diagnose the patient""s injuries, the caregiver takes X-rays or magnetic resonance images (MRI""s) of the patient. During the X-rays and MRI""s, the caregiver must often rotate or move the patient to various positions. Furthermore, if the caregiver discovers a spinal or neck injury, the caregiver may need to immobilize the patient to the backboard for an extended period of time. During this time, the caregiver may administer treatment and physical therapy that often requires that the patient again be rotated or moved.
One method of rotating or moving a patient from a horizontal plane is provided by attaching the backboard to a hospital bedframe equipped with a plurality of latches that secure the backboard to the bedframe. The bedframe rotates the backboard about a horizontal axis, and may raise or lower the backboard at an angle relative to the horizontal axis. Because rapid movements or even slight, but abrupt, movements should be avoided, it is preferable that the latches securing the backboard to the bedframe be in a latched position before the bedframe undergoes any motion. Thus, the position of the latches should be determined before permitting movement of the backboard. This latch position determination aids in preventing the backboard from slipping or falling from the bedframe due to any of the latches being in the unlatched position.
According to the present invention, a position detector is provided for use with a bedframe including first and second components such as a frame member and a latch positioned to couple a backboard to the frame member. The second component is movable between first and second positions relative to the first component. The position detector includes a conductor and a sensor. The conductor has a property that changes between a first state and a second state upon movement of the second component of the bedframe from the first position to the second position. The sensor is coupled to the conductor to detect the change in state of the property of the conductor to determine the position of the second component of the bedframe based on the detected change in state of the property of the conductor.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bed is provided. The bed includes a support surface configured to support a person, a bedframe configured to support the support surface, and a position detector. The bedframe includes a frame member and multiple components configured to move relative to the frame member between first and second positions. The position detector includes a conductor and a sensor. Each of the multiple components is positioned to communicate a change in position of said component to the conductor. The sensor is coupled to the conductor to detect the change in position of each of the multiple components to determine the positions of said components.
According to the present invention, a method of detecting a position of a first bed component relative to a second bed component is provided. The first bed component is movable between first and second positions relative to the second bed component. The method includes the steps of providing a conductor positioned to be acted upon by the first bed component; moving the first bed component from the first position to the second position; changing a property of the conductor from a first state to a second state during movement of the first bed component from the first position to the second position; detecting the state of the property of the conductor; and correlating the state of the property of the conductor with the position of the first bed component to determine the position of the first bed component.
A preferred method of detecting the position of multiple bed components movable between first and second positions relative to a bedframe is also provided. The method includes the step of providing a conductor having a region associated with each of the multiple bed components. Each region of the conductor is positioned to be manipulated by one of the multiple bed components. The method further includes the steps of moving at least one of the multiple bed components from the first position to the second position; changing a property of the region of the conductor associated with said bed component moved to the second position; detecting the state of the property of each region of the conductor; and correlating the state of the property of each region of the conductor with the position of each associated bed component to determine the position of each associated bed component.
Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.